Product innovations in the investment complex

The object of the present study are economic entities from the public and private sector in the investment complex, related to the activities on thermal insulation of external enclosing walls of residential buildings – enterprises producing ceramic bricks and blocks, mineral wadd and polystyrene slabs, construction companies. The aim is to conduct a comprehensive study in the investment complex by analyzing the investment macro environment and financial and economic condition of enterprises in the building materials industry, relevant to the problems related to thermal insulation and on this basis to identify opportunities for product renewal, restoration and development of the innovation potential along the axis: building materials industry – housing construction. In order to achieve the set goal, which requires research of the ongoing interdependent and intertwined innovation processes within the investment complex on the problems of thermal insulation of homes, the following research tasks have been solved: 1. Through the analysis of characteristic features of the innovations, on the example of the investment complex, principles supporting the maturation and maximizing the effectiveness of the innovative design are derived and the importance of product innovations from building materials industry for innovation processes in housing construction is revealed. 2. The investment macroenvironment and the financial and economic condition of individual production sectors in the investment complex are analyzed, influencing with their products directly the processes of improving the thermal insulation capacity of residential buildings, in order to build a realistic assessment of opportunities and prospects for technological and product renewal and development of their innovation potential. 3. The main issues in the implementation of new products in the construction materials industry and those related to their subsequent diffusion in construction production are studied and specific ways for their rational solution are indicated. 4. Based on the cost-effectiveness of alternative innovative solutions and the real possibilities for their accelerated diffusion in housing construction, changes in the normative matter and specific product priorities in the investment complex are proposed, facilitating the synchronization of construction practice with the relevant European standards. As a result of the research, the following more important scientific and practical contributions can be highlighted: 1. Theoretical formulations for innovations have been further developed by revealing and analyzing their characteristic features and deriving them as properties, on the example of heat-insulating product innovations in the investment complex. 2. Principles of practical and applied nature have been introduced, supporting the maturation and maximizing the effectiveness of the innovative design of the management (innovative) teams in the investment complex. 3. Based on the analysis, it is proposed to improve the thermal insulation product structure in the relevant sectors of building materials industry, given the current requirements in the construction sector, the pressure from foreign imports and reduced purchasing power of consumer’s demand. 4. Based on the characteristics of German ceramic blocks, domestic and imported thermal insulation building materials made of expanded polystyrene and mineral wadd, refinement has been made and a change in the statutory matter in construction and introduction of relevant Europeanized state standards in the construction ceramic industry is proposed. 5. Guidelines are given and specific product priorities of the innovation activity in the construction and ceramic industry are proposed on the basis of comparative analysis between products-analogues of leading German companies – UNIPOR, POROTON, ZVS and THERMOPOR. 6. An indicator has been derived that can be used both to determine the cost-effectiveness of structural solutions in construction design and in carrying out innovative activities in enterprises of building materials industry in the field of product and in particular, thermal insulation renovation. The proposed indicator is also useful to the effect that it can serve as a basis for the development of theoretical and applied model for multi-criteria optimization of the economy of external enclosing walls in residential, administrative and other types of building construction. This monograph is based on a defended dissertation in June 2001 at the University of National and World Economy – Sofia at an extended meeting of the Specialized Scientific Council for Field and Corporate Economics at the High Attestation Commission. The defense of the dissertation was considered and approved at a meeting of the High Attestation Commission (Scientific Commission 16) on 13.11.2001.